School History

When the city of Kokomo was established in June of 1855, it was just threeand-a-half years later that St. Patrick Parish began. After several different priests served the Catholic community in Kokomo, Father Francis Lordemann arrived in September of 1873 to begin his tenure of 36.5 years as pastor. Soon after his arrival, Fr. Lordemann began to realize the necessity of a school “where the children could acquire a good Christian education.” According to the Illustrated History — St. Patrick’s Church, published in July, 1901, “The first school organized was in 1874, when a part of the auditorium of the church was partitioned off for that purpose and school was conducted after Mass each morning with an attendance of about thirty-five pupils.” In 1877, a new church was built and the old building was remodeled to become the school. As enrollment increased, a new building was built in 1893. The two-story, brick building held about 160 students. The 1901 book explained that the students “are under the charge of four Sisters of St. Joseph and are graded up to the instruction given in the state high schools.” Originally known as St. Francis Academy, the name later changed to St. Francis School. As the city of Kokomo grew, so did the Catholic community. The need for a church at the south end of town brought about St. Joan of Arc on November 19, 1922. The “red brick building,” as it was affectionately known, housed four classrooms on the upper level and a chapel in the lower level. The following day, November 20, 121 students who had attended St. Patrick School (formerly St. Francis) began their first day of classes at the newlyformed St. Joan of Arc School. Just over 70 years later, St. Patrick School needed students, and St. Joan of Arc School needed more space. A commission with representatives from both parishes recommended combining the two schools into one,… and in the fall of 1994 the two parishes together began offering one big, beautiful ministry now known as Sts. Joan of Arc & Patrick School!

In 1901, the school's enrollment numbered around 160 pupils. The four Sisters of St. Joseph teaching at that time were Sister M. Borgia, Sister M. Catherine, Sister M. Bernardine and Sister M. Clarissa. The two-story school building, erected in 1893, included three classrooms, with eight grades and a high school with a three-year course. In addition to teaching, the book explained that “the Sisters organized the Society of St. Anthony for the purpose of establishing literary work among the pupils and it has proved a great success and benefit as well as pleasure to the pupils.” Students who took part in the Society of St. Anthony met every Friday afternoon, and the high school students oversaw the activities for the gatherings. The activities consisted of readings, recitations, essays and original composition. “There is also a paper, The Tempe, connected with the society,” the article explained, “which has a different editor, assistant editor and business manager each week and to which the pupils contribute sketches, stories and school notes, thus making it very interesting.” The publication went on to say that the pupils typically gave one social each year, although in 1901 “they have already given two.” At the time, the school “has also a very nice library of about three hundred books. They are by standard authors and include many juvenile books which are kept in the High School room.” The school library also had several journals and “books on the methods of teaching, and the Sisters take several journals themselves on the same subject.”